Dobbins Foodhall
As a collaboration between Dobbins Catering and Punchestown Racecourse, the design for this new self-service restaurant at the Irish racecourse needed to cater for high traffic and quick service. With a volume of between 500 customers on a typical racing day to up to 5,000 during the racing festival, traffic flow was critical.
A symmetrical design was created which allows entry and service from both the parade ring and the concourse areas. A central elliptical shape encourages customers from both sides, past the hot-service counter, by a cold service counter and to the serviced and self-service coffee areas. From there, customers filter through the till stations so that no cross-over and very little revisiting can occur. From the restaurant area, customers are encouraged through four exits back out to the parade and concourse areas.
The fixed communal benches were custom designed to maximise the volume of customers that can be seated at any one time. Tables were fitted with secondry under-shelves to allow for racecards, handbags and so on. Higher perimeter benches allow for quick, standing service.
The design of the restaurant is complimentary to the overall design Punchestown. Warm tones of amber and copper are accented with the red signage, incorporating the Dobbins signature colour and logo.